Tag: sanctions

Disclamer This report provides an overview of political persecution and human rights violations in Kazakhstan, as well as a list of political prisoners in Kazakhstan. The information presented in this report was collected with the assistance of Kazakhstani human rights defenders and civil activists. In addition, the report is based on data provided by victims […]

Executive Summary This report is the sixth in a series of reports on how Russia circumvents sanctions with the help of Central Asian countries, particularly by way of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. The subject of this report is an analysis of global trends and facts that point to Russia’s ability to accumulate sufficient resources for at […]

The Open Dialogue Foundation would like to thank the experts in the preparation of the submission. The Foundation would also like to express its gratitude to Mukhtar Ablyazov, an opposition politician and former Minister of Energy, Industry and Trade of Kazakhstan, for his advice. This submission contains the following information: Overview of Russia’s economic ability […]

Executive summary To analyse Kyrgyzstan’s capacity to help Russia circumvent sanctions, it is important to consider the internal political situation in Kyrgyzstan under President Sadyr Japarov. Kyrgyzstan has long been considered an “island of freedom” in Central Asia, with a number of independent media outlets, independent MPs and an active civil society. However, the authoritarian […]

Executive summary In 2022 and 2023, the Kazakhstani authorities have repeatedly convinced the international community of their alleged commitment to “preventing the use of the Kazakhstani territory to bypass sanctions”. “Appropriate measures” have been adopted (such as the creation of a “list of sanctioned goods”, the signing of a law “on the control of specific […]

Executive summary It has been a year since Russia began its large-scale invasion of Ukraine. All this time, Kazakhstan’s Nazarbayev-Tokayev regime has been assisting Russia with impunity in circumventing sanctions and financing the war against Ukraine. On 28 February 2023, on the day of the first official visit to Kazakhstan by the U.S. Secretary of […]

1. Introduction Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, the Kazakhstani authorities has repeatedly declared its “respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity” [1], [2], [3]. Kazakhstani officials try to assure Ukraine and the international community that Kazakhstan is “complying with the sanctions” against Russia, although it is not “joining them“. In practice, the […]

1. Introduction After Russia launched a full-scale military invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Kazakhstani authorities stated that Kazakhstan “respects the territorial integrity of Ukraine” and “has not and will not recognise both the situation with Crimea and the situation with Donbass” [1], [2]. In June 2022, President Tokayev declared non-recognition of the so-called “LPR” […]

This report is based on data, video and photo materials from eyewitnesses, activists, human rights defenders, peaceful protesters from more than 60 cities and villages in Kazakhstan, where protests were held. It also contains references to statements of the US, the EEAS, international organisations such as the UN, the OSCE, media outlets. In order to ensure safety of eyewitnesses, their names are not mentioned. Co-authors of this report, Raigul Sadyrbayeva and Aiya Sadvakasova, have been arrested under politically motivated criminal cases for their human rights activities. The authors of this report express their gratitude for all informants and volunteers, who contributed to this report despite risking their lives and freedom. The authors of the report extend their condolences to families, relatives and friends of those who lost their lives during these mass repressions. We strongly believe that the truth must be unravelled and perpetrators must be held accountable.

On 5 January 2022, 10 Human Rights NGOs, including the Open Dialogue Foundation, issued an appeal on the current protests taking place in Kazakhstan. Against the backdrop of the massive street protests against the government and the Nazarbayev regime, which were met with widespread repression, ODF and its partners have condemned the government’s violence and […]

Canadian MP and freedom fighter Tom Kmiec has appealed for intervention to the Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs Michael Chong, drawing his attention to gross human rights violations during the detention of the political prisoner Iskander Yerimbetov. Based on the passage of Canada’s Magnitsky legislation, the Canadian MP has urged the Minister to impose targeted sanctions on Azamat Iztleuov, a prison official responsible for continued abuse of human rights in Kazakhstan. Iztleuov has participated in designating certain prisoners for abuse and torture including Yerimbetov. He has also removed the video surveillance equipment from the cell in which Yerimbetov was tortured, and has further denied him the right to counsel and medical treatment.

The political persecution of Barlyk Mendygaziyev is yet another example of how the Nazarbayev regime is taking hostages to fight political opponents. Barlyk Mendygaziyev is a businessman, philanthropist and human rights activist from Aksai, West-Kazakhstan Region living in the United States.

On 15 April 2021, ODF co-hosted an online conference on the new EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime and the effectiveness of personal (targeted) sanctions in safeguarding human rights. The event was co-organised in partnership with the Italian Federation for Human Rights, the Crimean Tatar Resource Center, Freedom Kazakhstan Foundation and the Global Committee for […]

On 21 June 2021 the Open Dialogue Foundation (ODF), together with the Italian Federation for Human Rights (FIDU), organized the online panel “Authoritarian countermeasures to targeted sanctions: China’s and other autocratic responses”. Hosted by ODF President Lyudmyla Kozlovska, the event gathered human rights defenders and an MEP affected by China’s countermeasures to discuss the reactions […]

The Open Dialogue Foundation (ODF), the Italian Federation for Human Rights (FIDU) and the Global Committee for the Rule of Law (GCRL) welcome the adoption in the European Parliament of a resolution on strengthening the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime (GHRSR), following a debate during the plenary session of 6 July 2021. The resolution, […]